Apparatus for introducing ingredients into a spray drying tower

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for introducing ingredients into a spray tower for producing adjustable density products having uncrutchable solids comprising a drying body having sides provided with a plurality of holes, spray nozzles connected to a pipe extending through the sides of the drying body for spraying hydrated liquid material into the drying body, and a substantially circular conduit having arms that attach and circumscribe the outside of the drying body with at least one inlet where hot drying gas enters to be effused through the holes in the drying body to flow either countercurrent or concurrently to the hydrated liquid material and dry it to form dry particulate matter. A cylindrical tube extends through the top of the drying body and provides for the introduction of uncrutchable solids. A top connects to the drying body and includes at least one aperture within the drying gas exits. The dry particulate material having uncrutchable solids is recovered through an outlet in the bottom of the body.

United States Patent [191 Oct. 22, 1974 Gibbons 1 1 APPARATUS FORINTRODUCING INGREDIENTS INTO A SPRAY DRYING TOWER [75] Inventor: Edward.1. Gibbons, Fanwood, NJ.

[73] Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company, New

York, NY.

[22] Filed: Feb. 1, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 328,750

Related U.S. Application Data [63] Continuation-impart of Ser. No.885,079, Dec. 15,

1969, abandoned.

[52] U.S. Cl. 159/4 CC [51] Int. Cl 801d 1/16 [58] Field of Search 159/4CC, 4 B, 4 R, 48 R, 159/4 C, DIG. 3', 34/10, 57 A; 99/203 [56]References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,157,935 10/1915 Gray 99/1991,634,640 7/1927 Zizinia 159/4 R 2,004,840 6/1935 Suchtelen 159/4 S2,900,256 8/1959 Scott 99/56 3,143,428 8/1964 Reimers et a1. 159/4 CC X3,354,933 11/1967 Wengeler 159/48 R 3,547,179 12/1970 Hussmann 159/4 CC3,626,672 12/1971 Burbidge 159/4 CC 3,629,951 12/1971 Davis 159/4 CC XDUST 8i EXHAUST GASES PRODUCT BELT; l

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 118,692 7/1944 Australia 159/4 C 982,5212/1965 Great Britain 1.59/48 R Primary Examiner-.1ack Sofer Attorney,Agent, or Firm-Herbert S. Sylvester, Esq.; Murray M. Grill, Esq.;Kenneth A. Koch, Esq.

[ 5 7 ABSTRACT An apparatus for introducing ingredients into a spraytower for producing adjustable density products having uncrutchablesolids comprising a drying body having sides provided with a pluralityof holes, spray nozzles connected to a pipe extending through the sidesof the drying body for spraying hydrated liquid material into the dryinghotly, and a substantially circular conduit having arms that attach andcircumscribe the outside of the drying body with at least one inletwhere hot drying gas enters to be effused through the holes in thedrying body to flow either countercurrently or concurrently to thehydrated liquid material and dry it to form dry particulate matter. Acylindrical tube extends through the top of the drying body and providesfor the introduction of uncrutchable solids. A top connects to thedrying body and includes at least one aperture within the drying gasexits. The dry particulate material having uncrutchable solids isrecovered through an outlet in the bottom f th 39 8 Claims, 2 DrawingFigures SOLIDS FEEDER TUBE FOR INTRODUCING UNCRUTCHABLE SOLIDS AT ANYPRE-SET LEVEL I DRIED PARTICULATE MATERIAL PAIENIEUnmzmsu D UST 8\EXHAUST GASES /j l souos FEEDER T A S WD CU ww 0 O E 5 E NBU I RHE 00 RFWP ER wmm 7 TUA l, 1 4 Y /r\ m u m 0 U N Q PRODUCT BELT 7/ DRIED FlPARTICULATE MATERIAL APPARATUS FOR INTRODUCING INGREDIENTS INTO A SPRAYDRYING TOWER RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is acontinuation-in-part of copending application Ser. No. 885,079 filedDec. 15, 1969, now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This inventionrelates to an apparatus for producing adjustable density products. Morespecifically, this invention provides an apparatus for introducingingredients into a spray drying tower that produces a low densityproduct having uncrutchable solids.

2. Description of the Prior Art Conventional devices for dehydrating andproducing low density particulate matter, for example, borax particles,utilize rapidly moving heated gas with the entrained particulate matterwhich is to be dehydrated. These devices are undersirable because theycause calcination and breakage of the product. They also require use ofa tremendous amount of heat, are expensive and highly inefficient. Theconventional devices are also not versatile because they require specialmodification to the basic apparatus for modification of the basicprocess. Various devices, e.g., Kilns, roasting pans, and fluidizedbeds, have been suggested for effecting dehydrating, puffing anddecrepitation of particulate matter, e.g.., borax particles, without thefore going deficiencies. But these devices have also been unsuccessfulin attempting to dehydrate solid particulate matter crystals, and fordrying liquid solutions into dry particulate matter. What is needed andwhat has been invented is a novel spray tower having means forintroducing ingredients thereinto to produce adjustable density productshaving uncrutchable solids without the foregoing deficiencies.

ity of holes, means for spraying hydrated liquid material into saiddrying body, and means for effusing hot drying gas through the holes tocountercurrently flow against the hydrated liquid material to dry theliquid material to form dry particulate material. Also provided aremeans for introducing the uncrutchable solids into the drying body so asto produce the dry particulate material having the uncrutchable solids,and a top connected to the drying body having at least one aperturewherein the drying gas exits. A bottom is attached to the drying bodyand has at least one outlet wherefrom the dry particulate materialhaving uncrutchable solids is recovered.

It is therefore an object at the invention to provide a spray towerforproducingadjustable density products that doesnt utilize rapidlymoving heated gas with the entrained particulate matter which is to bedehydrated.

It is another object-oi the invention to provide a spray tower forproducing adjustable density'products having uncrutchable. solids thatdoesnt cause calcinationand 2 breakage of the product; and isinexpensive, highly efficient, and requires a relatively small amount ofheat.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide a versatile meansfor introducing ingredients into a spray tower requiring no specialmodification when the height of introduction of uncrut'chable solids isvaried.

These, together with various ancillary objects and features which willbecome apparent as the following description proceeds are obtained bythis novel spray tower, a preferred embodiment is shown in theaccompanying drawing, by way of example only, wherein:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic verticalsectional view of the apparatus used in the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the plane of line 2-2in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring now in detail to thedrawing, wherein like reference numerals designate similar partsthroughout the views, and in particular to FIG. 1, drying body 10 is ofcylindrical shape with circular holes 12 having centers which areessentially equidistant from the axis of drying body 10. Pipe 20 extendsthrough the sides of drying body 10 and spray nozzles 22 and 24 areconnected to it for spraying hydrated liquid material 28, or the like,into drying zone 30. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, pipe 20is situated in the upper portion of drying body 10. A substantiallychannel shaped conduit 32 has inlet 34 where hot drying gases 36 enter.Conduit 32 is of dimensions greater than the diameters of holes 12, andattached to and circumscribe the outside of drying body 10, enclosingholes 12 where gases 36 effuse to countercurrently flow against hydratedliquid material 28 to form dry particulate material 38.

A top 40 is essentially a truncated cone and is integrally connected tothe drying body 10 and includes mouth 42 where drying gases 36 exit inthe form of dust and exhaust gases 44. Mouth 42 is circular with acenter essentially positioned on the axis of drying body 10.

A cylindrical tube 46 extends through the top 40, and a worm feeder 48,driven by motor 50 introduces uncrutchable solids in the direction ofarrows 52 to be mixed with the dry particulate material 38. The tube 46is adjustable at any pre-set height level within drying body 10. Abottom 54 is provided with an outlet 56; The bottom 54 is of conicalshape and outlet 56 is substantially circular with a center situatedessentially on the axis of drying body 10, and dry particulate material38 with uncrutchable solids 52 leave bottom 54 through outlet 56 to beinitially deposited on the produce belt 58 which is driven by drivingpulleys 60and 62', in the direction of arrow 60 and finally depositedthrough funnel member 62.

In a preferred embodiment for operation of the invention, a particulatematerial (e.g. detergent composition or other hydrated liquids or solidsmaterial that is in need of dehydrating) is prepared as an aqueoussuspension or paste in a suitable mixer (not shown). It is then pumpedby a pump (not shown) through pipe 20 to spray nozzles 22 and 24 fromwhich it is sprayed into the interior of spray tower body 20. In fallingthrough the tower body 10, spray 28 is dried to solid particles 38 byhot air 36 entering the tower at inlet 34 and exiting through outlet 42in the form of dust and exhaust gases 44. The hot air is usuallyproduced by burning either fuel oil or gas in a burner (not shown).Also, these dust fines 44 being removed save on the need for dustcollecting equipment on the spray tower l0.

Uncrutchable solid materisl 52, such as solid hydrated borax, which canbe dehydrated and expanded is fed to feeder 48 (driven by motor 50) fromhopper 49 through pipe 46 into drying zone 30. Pipe 46 maybe adjusted sothat the introduction may be done at such a place and in such a mannerthat advantage can be taken of the physical effect that thetemperature/time relationship in the tower may produce. Thus, the timeof dwell of the borax hydrate particles in a heated area 30 can becontrolled by controlling the height at which they are fed into thespray tower by tube 46. Solid borax and detergent composition arerecovered through outlet 56.

While the present invention has been described herein with reference toparticular embodiments thereof, a latitude of modification, variouschanges and substitutions are intended in the foregoing disclosure, andin some instances some features of the invention will be employedwithout a corresponding use of other features without departing from thescope of the invention as set forth.

I claim:

1. A spray tower for producing adjustable density products comprising adrying body having sides provided with a plurality of holes, nozzlemeans for spraying hydrated liquid material into said body, means foreffusing hot drying gas through said holes to countercurrently flowagainst said hydrated liquid material to dry said liquid material intodry particulate form, said body having a top provided with a mouthwherein said drying gas exits, a bottom provided with an outletwherefrom said dry particulate material is removed, a cylindrical tubeextending through said top and having a discharge opening that isadjustable to any pre-set height level within said body between saidholes and said nozzle means and a feeding means for feeding dry solidsinto said cylindrical tube.

2. The spray tower of claim 1 wherein said feeding means includes a wormfeeder for supplying said solids to said tube and a motor operativelyconnected to said worm feeder for driving said feeder.

3. The spray tower of claim 1, wherein said body is cylindrically shapedand said holes are circular with centers essentially equidistant fromthe axis of said body.

4. The spray tower of claim 3, wherein said means for effusing hotdrying gas through said holes is a substantially channel shapedcofferdam having at least one inlet, said cofferdam surrounding andenclosing said holes, whereby said hot drying gas enters said inlet tobe effused through said holes.

5. The spray tower of claim 1, wherein said means for spraying hydratedliquid material comprises at least one spray nozzle, a pipe extendingthrough the sides of said body and connected to said spray nozzle forconducting said liquid material to said spray nozzle, and said pipebeing situated in the upper portion of said body.

6. The spray tower of claim 5, wherein said top, is essentially anupright truncated cone, and said aperture is circular with a centeressentially positioned on said axis of said body.

7. The spray tower of claim 1, wherein said bottom is an invertedfrusto-cone.

8. The spray tower of claim 7, wherein said outlet of said bottom issubstantially circular with a center situated essentially on an axis ofsaid body.

1. A spray tower for producing adjustable density products comprising adrying body having sides provided with a plurality of holes, nozzlemeans for spraying hydrated liquid material into said body, means foreffusing hot drying gas through said holes to countercurrently flowagainst said hydrated liquid material to dry said liquid material intodry particulate form, said body having a top provided with a mouthwherein said drying gas exits, a bottom provided with an outletwherefrom said dry particulate material is removed, a cylindrical tubeextending through said top and having a discharge opening that isadjustable to any preset height level within said body between saidholes and said nozzle means and a feeding means for feeding dry solidsinto said cylindrical tube.
 2. The spray tower of claim 1 wherein saidfeeding means includes a worm feeder for supplying said solids to saidtube and a motor operatively connected to said worm feeder for drivingsaid feeder.
 3. The spray tower of claim 1, wherein said body iscylindrically shaped and said holes are circular with centersessentially equidistant from the axis of said body.
 4. The spray towerof claim 3, wherein said means for effusing hot drying gas through saidholes is a substantially channel shaped cofferdam having at least oneinlet, said cofferdam surrounding and enclosing said holes, whereby saidhot drying gas enters said inlet to be effused through said holes. 5.The spray tower of claim 1, wherein said means for spraying hydratedliquid material comprises at least one spray nozzle, a pipe extendingthrough the sides of said body and connected to said spray nozzle forconducting said liquid material to said spray nozzle, and said pipebeing situated in the upper portion of said body.
 6. The spray tower ofclaim 5, wherein said top, is essentially an upright truncated cone, andsaid aperture is circular with a center essentially positioned on saidaxis of said body.
 7. The spray tower of claim 1, wherein said bottom isan inverted frusto-cone.
 8. The spray tower of claim 7, wherein saidoutlet of said bottom is substantially circular with a center situatedessentially on an axis of said body.